Summary Of Roman Imperial Rule By Greg Woolf

In this essay, the reaction of the native populations to Roman imperial rule will be considered, with reference to articles by Greg Woolf and Constantina Katsari. Woolf focuses on Gaul, arguing that the provincial population did not assimilate into Roman culture, but instead were instrumental in creating a new culture and social order . Katsari echoes a similar sentiment, focusing in her essay on economic and political aspects of Roman imperial rule in Greco-Roman cities, and asserting that the provincial populations were patriotic, but also loyal towards Rome . This essay will discuss two reactions to Roman imperial rule: first, cultural and economic reactions, and secondly, the reactions of provincial elites.
In his article, Woolf challenges
He uses the example of changes in the material and architectural culture of Gaul, talking of a rapid period in which Roman forms and styles were imitated and adopted, which shows ‘the spread of a taste for Roman goods before the capacity to satisfy it’ . Wolfe places this in the context of a similar ‘cultural revolution’ that was also occurring in Italy, and thus states that ‘Gaul was not recruited to a new cultural order’, but was affected by what was happening in Italy and the other provinces . This may show the provincial population was somewhat “assimilated”, however Wolfe argues that interactions with the Roman empire merely widened the range of styles that could be used , thus conveying the ‘cultural diversity’ over the course of Rome’s imperial rule over Gaul . Katsari further states that, whilst there was a sense of loyalty to Rome, the populations maintained a strong “proto-nationalistic” identification with the city in which they lived From an economic viewpoint, whilst coins from the mainstream mints were the